Gate-operating mechanism.



A. J. GURNEY.

GATE OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED IAN.2I, 1914.

1,141,627. Patented June 1, 1915.

6SHEETS-SHEET I.

mentor:

A. J. GURNEY.

GATE OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPUCATION FILED JAN. 21. 1914;

1, 141,627. Patented June 1, 1915.

6 SHEET$-SHEET 2. F I

mvanbor: AA. Gurney ATT'Y 5.

1HF NORRIS F'ETE'RE C0,, PHOTO LITHa. WASHINGTON. D.

A. J. GURNEY GATE'OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.2I| 1914.

1,141,627. Patented June 1, 1915.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3- Abbasb q mvenbor':

THE NORRIS PETERS CO. PHOTC-LITHII, WASHINGTON. D. C.

A.J.GURNEY. GATE OPERATING MECHANISM.-

APPLICATION FILED SAN-21.1914.

1,141,627. Patented June 1, 1915.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5- Abbesb a:

Q). Ndfiurnm Z f g 4 O W x THE NORRIS PETERS 60., PHOTC-LITHG..WASHINGTON. D c.

I A. J. GURNEY. GATE OPERATING MECHANlSM.

APPLICATION VFILED IAN- Z'l 1914.

1,141,627. Patented June 1, 1915.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

IHE NORRIS PErEHs C0 PHOTO LITH ).v WASHINGTON. D. c.

. ALBERT .I. GUBNEY, or HEREIN, ILLINOIS.

GATE-OPERATING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

7 Application filed January 21, 1914. Serial No. 813,540.

e To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT J. GURNEY, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Herrin, in the county of Williamson, State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gate-Operating'Mechanisms, of which the followlowing is a full, clear, andexact description,

' reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification. 7 I My invention relates to gate operating mechanismmore particularly adapted to operate or control the operation of gatesat the entrances to mine shafts.

The cages or elevators 1n mlne shafts are usually under the control ofan operator located at a point remote from the shafts, and the entrancesto such shafts are usually open or provided with gates under the controlof persons desiring to enter and depart from the mine. Obviously,accidents are quite likely to occur where a numberof persons arepermitted to congregate at the entrances to open mine shafts, and it hasbeen found that a large number of the accidents in mines are due to thelack of facilities for controlling the gates at the entrances of theshafts.

My invention relates to safety devices including gates at the entrancestosuch shafts under the absolute control of the person who controls theoperation of the cages. The invention also includes certain safetdevices whereby the operator is prevented from accidentally opening agate when the cage is removed from the entrance to the shaft, andanother safety device is employed to prevent the accidental starting ofa cage while the gate is open. For certain purposes to be hereinafterset forth, some of the safety devices may be rendered ineffective and Itherefore provide indicators or signals for automatically warning theoperator of the ineffective or inoperative condition of the safetydevices.

Other objects and advantages as well as,

the novel details of construction will be hereinafter described andpointed out in the claims. Y a

Figure I is a top or plan View, partly broken away, showing mine shafts,means for operatingthe cages in said shafts, and my gate controllingdevices associated there with. Fig. II is an enlarged fragmentary top orplan View of some of the parts shown in Fig. I, the housing for the gateoperating devices being broken away. Fig. III is a vertical sectionillustrating the gates and theshowing the operating handle forcontrolling the gates and certain locking devices associated therewith.Fig. VII is a rear elevation of the controller for the cages orelevators, showing the locking device for preventingthe operation ofsaid controller while a gate is open. Fig. VIII is a detail perspectiveview of a slidable latch bar associated with latch dogs shown in Fig.VI. Fig. IX is a longitudinal section of a traveler which moves inunison with the. cages and serves to lock and unlock the gatecontrolling devices, one .of the gates being under the control of saiddevices when a cage reaches the entrance to the shaft. 1

Referring now to Fig. I, A and B designate mine shafts, Aand B are cagesoperable in said shafts, and C and D are gates closing the entrances tosaid shafts. The cages are raised and lowered through the medium ofcables 1 and 2 wound around drums 3 and 4:, passing over pulleys 5 abovethe mine shafts and secured to the cages in any suitable manner. Thedrums 3 and l are secured to a crank shaft 6 driven by a motorconsisting of two engines 7. The cables are so wound onto the drums 3and 4 that one of the cages is located' at the upper end of the shaftwhen the other cage is at the lower end of the shaft.

8 designates a motor controller in the form of a throttle valve adaptedto control the operation of the engines 7, said controller controllerhas absolute control of the movements of the cages in the mine shafts.

Before describing the details of construction of my gate controllingdevices and the various signals associated therewith, I will briefly setforth the objects and functions Patented June 1, 1915.

of some of these devices. One of the prin cipal objects is to place thegates C and D under the control of the operator having control ofthemovements of the cages and a gate operating lever 12 is thereforelocated adjacent to the motor controller 8. When the .gates are closedthey are locked automaticall'y and cannot beunlocked by a person at theentrance to the mine shafts Either gate may be unlocked and opened bythe operator of lever 12, but certain lockingdevices are employed toprevent the opera- 'tion'of said lever when the cages are above or belowthe entrances to the shafts. In loadinga cage, it is sometimes desirableto open a gate while the cage is located below Under normal conditions,the operator is prevented from starting the motor while a gate is open,the motor controller 8 being provided with an automatic lock which isefiective when a gate occupiesits open position; For certain purposes,this automatic lock'may b rendered inoperative, and if the operatorstarts the motor while a gate and hilejsaid lock is ineffective, 35'

a danger signal automatically "comes into service.

The means for opening the gates comprises a tube 13, rotatably mountedin a post 14, located between the gates,and a shaft 15, rotatablymounted insaid tube 13, (see Figs. II, III and IV). The gate 0 issecured to the rotatable tube 13 by means of a collar 16 fiXed totheupper end ofsaid tube, and a rod 17 connecting said collar to the upperportion of the gate C. The rod 17 is loosely fitted to a bracket 18 onthe gate C, (Fig. III), said rod being provided with a nut 1 9, engagingan abutment on said bracket. The lower portion of gate C is provided'With an extended arm 20 secured to a pivot pin 21,011 the fixed post14.. The gate C is pivotally supported at its upper ends and lower ends,the tube 13 constituting the pivotal support for the upper endof theshaft, and it will be noted that the upper and lower pivotal supportsare located in diiferent horizontal and vertical planes, so

that when the gate is opened by a rotary end of the inner shaft 15 by acollar 22 Xed to said shaft, and a 'rod 17' connected to said o a a d lse y fitted the bracket 18? at the upper edge of the gate. The loweredge of gate D issecuredi to a pivot pin 23.

An arm 24 is fixed to the lower end "of the tube 13 and 'asimilar. arm25 is fixed to' the lower portion of the shaft 15. The means forrockingthe arms 24 and 25, for the pure pose of openingthe gates,comprises rods 26 and 27 .pivota'lly 'connectedfto a crosshead 28mounted in guides 29, said, rods be ing slidably fitted to swivelmembers 30 and- 31- carriedby the arms '24 and 25,.respec-L tivielyi Theslidable rod 26 is provided I with pins 32 adapted to engage the swivel,

members 31 when the crosshead moves rearwardly, and the slidable rod 27is provided with pins 3'3fiwhich engage the swivel memn be'r 30when thecrossh'ead moves forwardly. V

to the slide bar. The lever 12-, (F ig.'VI),

isprovi'ded with a detent 37which projects into 'a notch 38 in a sector39 when'the lever 12 isi'n its neutral position. The lever 12' maybeoperated to slide the crosshead 28 forwardly or; rearwardly; and, whenthe crossliead moves forwardly, the rod 26 slides idly in the swivelmember 31,:While the pin 33 on therod 27 engages the swivel member 30,withthe result of rockingthe arm 25,

thereby turning the shaft15 so as to open the gate -D. WVhen the gateoperating lever 12 is rocked to open thegate C, '.the cross, head 28 ispulled rearwardly and the pin 32 at the end of rod 26 is engaged withthe swivel member 31 on the arm 24,-so as to-rock said arm as well asthe gateG,

which is secured to the upper end of the tube 13. Each is normallylocked in its closed position by a yieldable latch memb81 40, (Fig.III), ar'ranged'in a gatepost V 41; Each latch member 40 is preferably abell crank lever'having a finger 42eXtending through the post 41 andintothe end, 7

of a gate. 7

43 designates a restorlng sprmgftending to retain the latch member inthe position shown in Fig-III. V v The means for unlocking the gates,(Figs. II, III and IV), com

prises levers 44 pivoted at 444, each of said levers having a cam face45, adapted to be engaged by a pin46 extending upwardly from the crosshead 28. Pull rods47 connected to'the levers 44 are formed with loops 48which lie partly withinthe posts .41, and bell crank-levers 49 pivotedto said posts "are "provided with depending arms which extend into theloops 48. Each bell crank lever 49 is'connectedto alatch member 40 "by avertical pull'rod 50, shown in' Fig. III. When the gate operating lever12 is'actuated to open one of the gates, thepin 46 on the cross head 28slides alongthe cam face on one of the levers 44 so as to rock saidlever, and unlock the gate before the pins 32or 33 engage the swivelmember on the gate operating arm.

To notify the operator when one of the gates is open, signal lamps 51are located adjacent to the gate operating lever, (Fig.

switches consisting of sprlng members 52 and 53, and fixed members54.Feed wires 55 lead from the switches to the lamps.

When the gates are closed, the spring mem bers of the switches areforced away from the fixed members 54, by insulators 56 carried by thearms 24 and 25; and when one of the gates moves from its closedposition, the spring member of one of the switches engages the adjacentfixed switch member thereby closing one of the lamp circuits. The handie9 of the motor controlling valve 8 is secured to a lift rod 57 passingthrough inclined slots in the upper portion of the housing 11. This liftrod 57 occupies the position seen in Fig. VI, when the motor and cagesare stationary, and the motor is placed in operation by moving thecontroller handle so as to locate the lift rod 57 in the up per portionof the inclined slot 10. A looking device, arranged between the lift rod57 and slide bar 35, consists of a lower section 58 seated in a notch inthe slide bar 35, and an upper section 59 loosely connected to saidlower section. These upper and lower sections are slidably fitted to thehousing 11, and the upper section has a head 60, which normally liesdirectly below. the slot 10.

. 61 designates an eccentric carried by the lower section 58, andengaging the bottom edge of the upper section. .When the gate operatinglever 12 is moved to open either of the gates, the horizontal slide bar35 moves forwardly or rearwardly, and the lower end of the sectionallocking device is then forced upwardly, out of the notch 62,

' thereby moving the head intothe path of the lift rod 57. The'motorcontroller is Jlocked by the head 60 until the gate is restored to itsclosed position. It will be noted that this locking device also servesto lock the gate opening mechanism while the motor is. in operation, forthe reason that the head 60 isthen prevented from rising by the lift rod57, which lies directly above said head when the motor is running.

As before stated, it is sometimes necessary to "load a cage while it islocated below the entrance to the shaft, and, in this event, the lockingdevice just described may be rendered ineffective, so as topermittheoperation of the motor and cage while an entrance gate is open. Whena gate is open,

"the'sectional locking device is elevated, and,

said signal lamps beingcontrolled byopening a gate. at the entrance to ashaft when the cage therein is above or below said entrance, the gateopening mechanism is locked by certain devices which unlock automatically to permit theopening of a gate when a cage reaches the shaftentrance. These locking devices comprise a slidable locking bar 70,(Figs. VI and VIII), secured to the slide bar 35 by an angular arm 71and a link 72; and locking dogs 73 and 74 co5perable with said lockingbar 70. The locking dogs are secured to pivot rods 75 mounted inbearings 76, and said locking dogs have beveled detent heads 77 adaptedto engage beveled shoulders 78 and 79 on the locking bar 7 0. The headof the locking dog 73 is located directly opposite the beveled face 78on looking bar 70, and the head of locking dog 74 is located directlyopposite the beveled face 79.

When the gate operating handle 12 is operated so as to push theslide bar35 forwardly, thelocking bar70 moves forwardly, with the result oflifting the locking dog 73; andwhen said'slide bar 35 moves rearwardlyfrom the position seen in Fig. VI, the locking dog 74 is lifted throughthe medium of the locking bar 7 0. The means for holding the lockingdogs 73 and 74 in the position seen in Fig. VI to prevent the operationof the gate operating mechanism while the cages are removed from theshaft entrances, comprises a traveling cylinder 80 secured to a shaft81, the latter being mounted in bearings 82 and 83. The shaft 81 isscrewed into the bearing 82, and slidably fitted to a drive wheel 84,which is splined to the shaft, as seen in Fig. IX. The drive wheel ispreventedfrom traveling with the shaft by a retaining finger 85 securedto the bearing 83, and extended into an annular groove in the hub ofwheel 84. The wheel 84 is driven in unison with the elevator cages bymeans ofa gear wheel 86 fixed to the crank I shaft 6. When one of thecages reaches the ing cylinder registers with a pin 90 on the lockingdog 74, so as to unlock said dog, thereby permitting the opening of thegate atthe entrance to the cage. When one of the'gates is moved to itsopen position, one of the locking dogs is elevated by means of thelocking bar 70, and the pin 88 or 90 carried by the elevated locking'dogis inter locked with the traveling-cylinder 80. It is possible fortheoperator to start 'the'motor while the traveling cylinder issointerlocked 'with one of the locking dogs, and I therefore provide adanger signal in the form of an electric bell 91, adapted to operateautomatically, if the motor is started the shaft so that the shaft mayrotate whilethe said cylinder is interlocked with one of the lockingdogs. The electric circuit leading to the signal bell 91 includes aswltch member 95 fixed to the shaft 81, and a switch member 96 in theform of a ring secured to the traveling cylinder, see Fig. IX. Theseswitch members are insulated from each other, and the switch'member 96is insulated from the switch member 81.

The switch member is formed with a' tooth which normally lies opposite arecess in the switch member 96, (Fig. VI), so that the'circuit about tobe described is normally open'between said switch members,

but when the shaft 81 rotates independently of the cylinder 80, thetooth 97 on the switch member 95 contacts with the switch member 96, soas to close the circuit, thereby ringing the signal bell. The electriccircuit includes a non-rotatable contact ring 98 engaging the switchmember 96, and provided with an'arm 99, which slides on a fixed rod 100.One of the circuit wires is fixed to the rod 100, (Fig. 11), and anothercircuit wire is connected to the bearing 82. The elements through whichthese wires be electrically connected include the rod 100, the slidingcontact member 98, the switch member 96 engaging said contact member,the switch member 95 adapted to engage the switch member 96, the shaft81' fixed to the switch member 95, and the bearing 82 to which one ofthe wires is connected. The locking dogs 73 and 74 are fixed to thepivot rods 75, and said pivot rods are slidably fitted to bearings 76.A. shifter lever 102, pivoted at 1 03, is secured to th'e slidable pivotrods 7 5, for the purrinses ass of shifting as askin Ja s-awe;

from the" locking barfTO" when it becomes necessary :to open a gatewhile'the cage is removed from'the' shaft entrance. When the shifterlever 102 is shifted to render the (Fig. II), carried by said leverengages 'I claim: V r 1. The combination-with afshaft and a. cageoperable therein; of a gate at an entrance tosaid shaft, agate'operating device for moving said gate, and means for auto-fmatically locking said gate operating device when the cagemoves awayfrom said'shaftjentrance and automatically unlocking said 7-? lockingdogs inefiective,.a-switch arm 104:,-

gate operating device whenthe cage reaches a said entrance; 'saidmeansincluding atraveler movable ln unison'with saidcage, and

a locking device under the control of'said traveler.

'2. The combination witha than and a f cage operablefltherein, of a gateat an en trance to said shaft, agate operating device for moving saidgate, and means for auto matically locking-said gate'operating device.when the cage moves away from said shaft entrance and automaticallyunlocking said gate operating devlce whenthe cage reaches said entrance;sa d means including adog for locking'said gate operating device,- a;

traveler for retaining said dog in its operas tlve position while thecage is away from said entrance, and means for moving said traveler inunison with said cage.

3. The combination with a'shaft and a cage operable therein, of a gateat an en 7 trance to said shaft, a gate'operating device for moving saidgate, and meansforautomatically locking said, gate operating device jwhen the cage" moves away from said shaft entrance and automaticallyunlocking said gate operating device when' the cage reaches saidentrance; said means including a lock for said gate operating device, atraveler adapted to prevent the'operation of said lock, and means formoving said traveler'in.

unison with said cage.

4. The combinationwith a shaft and a cage operable therein, ofa gate atan entrance tovsaid shaft, a gate operating device for moving said gate,means for'automatically locklng said gate operating device 5. Thecombination with a shaft and acage operable therein,-of a gate at anentrance to said shaft, a gate operating device for moving saidgate,means for automatically unlocking said gate operating device when thecage moves away from said shaft entrance and automatically unlockingsaid gate operating device when the cage reaches said entrance, and anunlocking device under control of the operator for rendering saidlocking means inefiective combined with an indicator for showing theposition of said unlocking device.

6. The combination with a shaft and a cage operable therein, of a gateat an entrance to said shaft, a gate operating device for moving saidgate, and means for automatically locking said gate operating devicewhen the cage moves away from said shaft entrance and automaticallyunlocking said gate operating device when the cage reaches saidentrance; said means including a traveler, a locking member for saidgate operating device adapted to interlockwith said traveler when saidgate occupies its open position, a shaft movable in unison with saidcage, said traveler being yieldingly secured to said shaft, a. signalincluding a switch operable when said shaft rotates independently ofsaid traveler, said switch comprising a member secured to said travelerand a member secured to said shaft.

7. The combination with a shaft and a cage operable therein, of a motorfor operating said cage, a controller for said motor, a gate at anentrance to said shaft, a gate operating device adjacent to saidcontroller, a controller lock, operable by said gate operating device,for locking said controller when the gate occupies its open position,and means for rendering said controller lock ineffective, I

8. The combination with a shaft and a cage operable therein, of a motorfor operating said cage, a controller for said motor, a gate at anentrance to said shaft, a gate operating device adjacent to saidcontroller, a controller lock, operable by said gate operating device,for locking said controller when the gate occupies its open position,means for rendering said controller lock ineffective, and an indicatorshowing when the controller lock isineflective.

9. The combination with a shaft and a cage operable therein, of a motorfor operating said cage, a controller for said motor located at a pointremote from said cage, a gate at an entranceto said shaft, a gateoperating device adjacent to said controller, a lock for said gateoperating device adapted to be locked and unlocked by said controller soas to prevent the operation of said gate operating device while the cageis in motion, and means for rendering said lock in effective. 7

10. The combination with a shaft and a cageoperable therein, of a motorfor operating said cage, a controller for said motor located at a pointremote from said cage, a gate at an entrance to said shaft, a gateoperating device adjacent to said controller, a lock for said gateoperating device adapted to be locked and unlocked by said controller soas to prevent the operation of said gate operating device while the cageis in motion, means for rendering said lock inefiective, and anindicator showing when said lock is ineffective.

11. The combination with a shaft and a cage operable therein, of a gateat an entrance to said shaft, a motor for operating said cage, acontroller for said motor located at a point remote from said cage, agate operating device for moving said gate, means, under the control ofsaid motor, for automatically locking said gate operating device -whenthe cage moves away from said shaft entrance and automatically unlockingsaid gate operating device when the cage reaches said entrance, and alocking device. associated with said controller, adapted to lock saidgate operating device in response to movements of the controller.

A. J. GURNEY. Inthe presence of P. N. LnwIs, R. F. MOONEYHAM.

Sopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of latenta,

Washington, D. 9.

